Pascal Tremblay
Biographie Pascal Tremblay
Pascal Tremblay - Saxophone
Pascal Tremblay knows the use of sensuality, elegance and delicacy; he reveals a profound knowledge of acoustic jazz, within the boundaries of his own composing and improvisation or interpretation. His experience grows up from the age of fifteen by playing every weekend. He attends college at Vanier then goes on to play in the Carabeans and throughout Europe where he starts to write his own music. He helps maintain jazz in the Laurentians and around Saint-Jerome by playing in many clubs for years. First a saxophone player, he also records and plays with diverse artists like Gilles Vigneault and Gary Boudreault as a bass player; just like with La Corde de Bois, a band that he co-founded. A pillar of the jazz scene in the laurentiens, his project named jazz faction earned him to be chosen to represent Canada at the 2005 Aïchi International Exposition, in Japan. It also got him to be nominated at the Grand Prix General Motors in the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival as well as in the Galaxie contest. Jazz Faction has been selected to represented Canadian culture during UNESCO summit, Ottawa 2007. LUEURS, Jazz Faction’s third project, is enhanced by a string quartet and specifically illustrates the bond between impressionist era compositions and modern jazz.
Sylvain Provost - Guitar
Guitarist Sylvain Provost is a leading light in Québec’s Jazz scene. In 1983 he won the "Yamaha Prize" with the group QUARTZ at «The Montreal Jazz Festival». With his Trio, he has recorded a number of broadcasts for Radio-Canada and Radio Québec. With his long-time bassist cohort, Norman Lachapelle he has produced a host of recordings, winning nominations and awards at the ADISQ, JUNO’s and Opus Awards. For 25 years now, Sylvain has taken part in countless professional collaborations in concerts and recordings with the likes of Gerry Boulet, Oliver Jones, Yannick Rieu, Karen Young, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Térez Montcalm, Sylvain Lelièvre, «LA LA LA Human Steps» (with whom he toured around the world) and many other Québec and France performers. His last album came out during summer 2009, featuring his new trio.
Frédéric Alarie - Bass
On the jazz scene since the late 80’s, this double bass player and composer is innovator, inspired, capable of remarkable improvisations, with a prodigious mastering of his instrument. Qualities that provides him a great recognition amongst the grand jazz players in Canada. Having worked regularly with Lorraine Desmarais and Yannick Rieu, he also performed with Oliver Jones, Ranee Lee and Sheila Jordan. His participation at jazz festivals and many radio events have contributed to the acquaintance of the musician and his work in Canada and many countries in Europe. This international recognition makes his way by the magic of meetings and fabulous projects with the American musicians Ray Anderson, Sonny Fortune and Art Johnson. His personnal recordings are critically acclaimed and in 1997 his very first personal disc Vision-Basse Section have been rewarded by nominations of l’ADISQ and Saison Jazz Montreal named him «Discovery of the year». Frédéric Alarie amazes you by the colour, depth and audacity of his work; musician, composer, soloist, he’s always able to extend the limits of his expression and those of jazz.
Jean-François Barbeau - Drums
Its under the direction and with the expert advice of Jean-Guy Plante, Luc Boivin, Philippe Keyser and Pierre Hébert that Jean-François Barbeau managed to evolved and pushed his musicality even further. In 1998, he recorded with the UQAM Jazz formation. Since then, he has been noticed on the music scene and he has been invited on many projects with such artists as Carole Therrien, Alain Bédard, Andrée Boudreau, Norman Lachapelle, Michel Donato and Sylvain Provost, who are some of the many that appreciate his great listening ability as well as his very melodic playing.
Claudel-Canimex string quartet
Since their début in 1989, the Quatuor Claudel-Canimex has been warmly received by the public and praised by the critics. The ensemble is made up of four women who share the same dedication to music, “ each one shows mastery of her instrument and a high degree of musicality and intelligence.” (Barbara Scott, The Examiner Peterborough). Élaine Marcil and Marie-Josée Arpin, violin, Annie Parent, viola and Jeanne de Chantal Marcil, cello, have been playing together since girl-hood, and their ensemble work is remarkable for its cohesion, depth and emotion. For years, the Quatuor Claudel-Canimex has been recognized as one of the best of its kind, performing annually in Montreal, and of late its reputation has been growing nationally and globally. Active on the Canadian scene, the ensemble was invited by many prestigious festivals including, the Festival de Lanaudière, the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound,
Ontario, and the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Quatuor Claudel-Canimex takes a keen interest in the contemporary classical repertoire and regularly premieres and performs works by many Canadian composers.
